Speak Now Storyteller

Summary: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

No spoilers because if you saw a trailer, I feel like some things are pretty clear but if you want to go into the movie completely blind, that’s cool! Watch and then come back here! Or skip down to my waiting and recommendation and then come back!

Also, there are TWO credit scenes. The mid credit scene is important to see. The end credit scene is “optional” if you have to go but I think it’s important to stay for both.

Also also, this is “horror” but I don’t think it’s particularly scary. It has supernatural elements so it can be unsettling and of course vampires so it’s bloody lol. Also 3x, if your teenagers want to see it, it does have a couple of sex scenes that are obvious that it’s sex but not super graphic. I’d recommend parents see it first then decide for themselves.

Pros:

Cast and Characters. There are a lot of characters in the film and some of them we spend a good amount of time with but I’m only going to hit on the major ones but shout out to Jayme Lawson as Pearline, Omar Benson Miller as Cornbread, Li Jun Li as Grace Chow and Yao as Bo Chow.

• Michael B. Jordan as Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore. So, I’m a MBJ fan and I think everything he’s in, he does very well. I think these two roles are some of his best work, if not his best work. They are so different from each other, but they work so well together. These two are WWI vets and have returned home to Mississippi after working several years in Chicago with mobsters. They want to buy an old sawmill to open a juke joint. Just know he’s very good lol.
  • Smoke is the more “hard ass” of the two. He’s straight forward and always ready on the trigger. He takes no prisoners and that’s clear throughout the movie. The only person he seems to really give any real “quarter” to his brother. We also see this throughout the movie. MBJ holds himself differently with Smoke, he’s rigid, always watching with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. Plus, we mostly see Smoke with blue and I think he has gold on the right side of his teeth. 
  • Stack comes off as the “crazy” one or “loose cannon” because of his freer personality but he’s definitely the younger brother. He’s a bit more open and fun-loving, often smirking or smiling in the background. He wears red most of the time and has gold teeth on the left side. He seems to be a bit more open to his emotions even though both hold it together. MBJ’s more languid and open as Stack. He’s always leaning on something, or has open posture.
• Hailee Steinfeld as Mary. Mary is Stack’s ex who grew up around them. She first shows up at the train station and accosts Stack and they have an awkward conversation. They clearly have an intense history. She later shows up at the Juke Joint and because of her history with the twins, she’s able to get inside and partake. Her and Stack have some conversations. But I won’t go too much further as it gets into spoiler territory. But I like Hailee Steinfeld, I think she’s very dynamic to watch on screen. I thought she had chemistry with MBJ as Stack. Her character lowkey annoyed me at times because of the nature of the story but I get it. 
• Miles Caton as Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore. Sammie is the son of a pastor who claims that music has a dangerous power, and he tries to persuade Sammie from playing music that isn’t church music. Sammie just wants to play music that moves him. He ends up swept up in the twins goals for the juke joint and it’s because of his music that things really begin to pop off. This is his first movie, and I think he does so well. I really liked watching him. He can sing. There are times where I have no idea what he said, because his voice is so deep, he talks through his teeth and his voice is deep, but it works for his character. I really liked him, and I hope to see him in more movies in the future. 
• Jack O’Connell as Remmick. We don’t see him a ton but he’s very effective. I always find vampires to be seductive, sensual and persuasive most times and I think he’s no different. He shows up at this white couple’s house on the run from Choctaw hunters. He ends up being enticed by Sammie’s music and he wants to get involved. Obviously, in this time, he’s suspicious outside of knowing what the audience knows but the characters don’t. He’s scary but enticing. Jack O’Connell has a nice singing voice, and I thought he did really well with trying to appeal to the others. 
• Wunmi Mosaku as Annie. Annie and Smoke have a history but a tragic one that prompted Smoke to run off. He comes to her so she could cook for the juke joint, but we learn about Annie’s connection and interest in the occult. She’s smart and observant. When things start to pop off, she’s the one who notices something is off with characters who return different than when they left. Honestly, I would have listened to everything she said from the beginning lol. I would have liked to have seen more of her “occult” abilities though whether they worked or not. Wunmi Mosaku is great, and she has great chemistry with MBJ’s Smoke, and I really root for them throughout the film. I thought she had a very strong and commanding presence on screen.
• Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim. Delta Slim is an older pianist who has lived a long time, and, in a way, he relates to Sammie with the whole “dancing with the devil” idea. He has a lot of stories and insight to share but he’s funny. He has a lot of funny lines, but he has a very iconic moment during the climax. I think Delroy Lindo has an extreme intensity about him and that’s present here and it works for Slim. 

The Story. The SmokeStack twins have returned from Chicago after working many years with mobsters. They want to start up a juke joint for the black community. Sammie being a preacher’s son, wants to play the blues but he’s being pressured by his father to not play that kind of music as it can be dangerous. He gets involved with the twins to play music and it ends up being the spark that starts off the supernatural aspects of the film. Remmick comes wanting to set everyone free and the story goes from there. Not to mention, the weaving of real life in there with racism towards black people and how Irish immigrants can relate in some aspects. Not to I think it’s a very good screenplay, with relatable characters with relatable stories and relationships. Anything more would be spoilery but I think it’s very smart and while obviously the vampires come off as “bad” in this, you actually understand where they’re coming from. It’s very good. I also feel like it would have been a great book lol. 

The Music. Ludwig Göransson has been a frequent musical collaborator for Ryan Coogler, so it was no surprise to see him listed again. The film is set in 1932 and very much feels like it and has a blues theme throughout the movie, whether it’s the score or the songs being sung. It adds to the atmosphere of the film, and it not only helps set the scenes, but it’s the breath of the film. The songs that are song, are deep with the lyrics and they tell a story, and they amplify it. Hailee Steinfeld doesn’t sing in the film, but she does sing in the end credits. Miles Caton’s voice is amazing. Jack O’Connell has a couple of songs and they’re also good and haunting. 

Juke Joint Music Scene. I really can’t talk much about this without spoilers, but this is probably the best scene of the movie and it’s the catalyst for what happens in the second half of the film. Sammie plays his music in the joint and because music is a connection throughout time, we see that and so does Remmick. That’s all I’ll say but it’s such a good scene, I got chills. 

It’s Black. I don’t mean this in a funny way but for all black people who go see this movie, you will understand what I mean. It’s set in the south in the 1930s and the music, the atmosphere, the story, the dialogue, it’s all just so black. I really loved that.

The Direction/Cinematography. Ryan Coogler directs (writes and produces) the film, and he has this raw style for his films where they feel like real life stories. Even when there’s supernatural aspects involved. It felt true to the 1930s (as much as I can say as I was born in 1992 lol). Autumn Durald Arkapaw is the cinematographer and them together is a great combo. There are a few shots that are so good. The scene in the joint where Sammie sings his song, outside of that scene just being so good, the direction of it really shines, like my goodness. Plus, how well it works to see two MBJs on screen at the same time, where they’re constantly interacting with each other, touching and talking. It’s all very seamless. 

Cons:

First half is a little slow. I think the movie does a good job in setting up the sensation of the twins’ juke joint. We watch them literally prepare for this job and I think that adds to the story, especially considering how they go about it… but I can also understand why some people would find that slow. Once the vampires get officially introduced into the film, it really starts to pick up. 

Night Sequences. So, I went back and forth on whether I wanted to include this as a con because I could be the fact that I saw this in a regular theater and not in Dolby like I usually would. I read the film was filmed for IMAX and maybe that’s better, but I hate that IMAX doesn’t have reclining seats. But I know I want to see the movie again, so this is liable to change. BUT I felt like some of the night sequences were a little too dark where I couldn’t fully see what was always going on. I think in some instances it’s okay because of vampires but at the same time, I want to be able to see when I feel like I’m meant to see. 

Overall, I think Sinners is very good. I didn’t go into it with a lot of expectations, but I put my trust in the Coogler/Jordan team, and I think once again it works. The characters are interesting and well-acted, the standouts being MBJ and Miles Caton. The story is interesting. I like the inclusion of vampires and what the motives were. The music is fantastic and wonderfully weaved into the story. It’s also so black and I love that. My only gripes which are quite minimal, in which the night sequences could be better with a better theater experience. It could change upon subsequent rewatches but out the gate, I think this is a top tier original film. I also love that Ryan Coogler has his team he likes to work, because Ruth E. Carter returns as his costume designer, Ludwig Göransson as his composer and Michael B. Jordan as his leading man. I think he has a winning combination. 

Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars. 

Let me know your thoughts on Sinners in the comments below! I highly recommend this movie!

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